Herodotus translation question

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Thessaloniki
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Herodotus translation question

Post by Thessaloniki »

I'm having trouble with the following sentence<br /><br />[size=150]αι τε γαρ συμφοραι προσπιπτουσαι και αι νουσοι συνταρασσουσαι και βραχυν εοντα μακρον δοκεειν ειναι ποιευσι τον βιον<br /><br />The matters to fall into, and illnesses to be troubled by, and being short, to seem to be long, they make life<br /><br />My best attempt at understandable english:<br />The affairs that befall someone and illness that trouble them, make life seem long even though it is really short.<br />Is this roughly correct?<br /><br />I'm trying to get a feel for how this sentence is structured, is the following correct?<br />Subject:<br />[size=150]αι τε γαρ συμφοραι προσπιπτουσαι και αι νουσοι συνταρασσουσαι<br /><br />Main Verb:<br />[size=150]ποιευσι<br /><br />Object (the whole clause):<br />[size=150]βραχυν εοντα μακρον δοκεειν ειναι..τον βιον<br /><br />with 'tov Biov' being the accusative subject of the infinitive 'dokeeiv'<br />

annis
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Re:Herodotus translation question

Post by annis »

What part of Herodotus? Book/line? I usually find it a lot easier to figure out Greek in context.
William S. Annis — http://www.aoidoi.org/http://www.scholiastae.org/
τίς πατέρ' αἰνήσει εἰ μὴ κακοδαίμονες υἱοί;

Thessaloniki
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Re:Herodotus translation question

Post by Thessaloniki »

Herodutus: The Histories 7.46.3 (second sentence in line 3).<br /><br />http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/pt ... +7.46.3<br /><br />Perhaps I should have been more clear in my question.<br /><br />What exactly is the grammatical/syntactical relationship between ton bion and the clause braxun eonta makron dokeein einai ? The sentence makes sense if ton bion is the accusative subject of dokeein , but it seem odd to me that the accusative subject would be seperated from its infinitive with the verb poieusi . If dokeein is however to be interpreted as impersonal, as it often is, then I don't see how the the clause containing dokeein grammatically fits into the sentence.

annis
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Re:Herodotus translation question

Post by annis »

[quote author=Thessaloniki link=board=2;threadid=233;start=0#1210 date=1057945857]<br />The sentence makes sense if ton bion is the accusative subject of dokeein , but it seem odd to me that the accusative subject would be seperated from its infinitive with the verb poieusi .<br />[/quote]<br /><br />I have seen this happen plenty of times, and not just in Greek ("This man I think is a classicist.") So I think this is the correct interpretation.
William S. Annis — http://www.aoidoi.org/http://www.scholiastae.org/
τίς πατέρ' αἰνήσει εἰ μὴ κακοδαίμονες υἱοί;

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